The clergymen who conducted last year’s funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee have urged politicians to continue to work towards the “better society” Ms McKee had sought.
Church of Ireland Dean of Belfast, Stephen Forde and Martin Magill, parish priest of St John’s Catholic parish on the city’s Falls Road issued a joint statement to mark the first anniversary of Ms McKee’s funeral at St Anne’s Cathedral.
Ms McKee (29) was shot and fatally wounded while watching a riot in Derry’s Creggan on April 18 last year. The Belfast woman had been standing close to police lines when a gun man opened fire. Dissident republican group, the New IRA later admitted responsibility for her murder.
The murder provoked a furious reaction across the world. Among those who attended the Belfast woman’s funeral were Irish President, Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister, Theresa May among others.
In their joint statement, Dean Forde and Fr Magill said Ms McKee’s murder created fear that the gains of the 20 years since the Good Friday Agreement could be lost to a new generation. They said her funeral brought together the leaders of all political parties who were then deadlocked in their “inability to re-establish the Northern Ireland Assembly”.
The two ministers said that Fr Magill’s “powerful” question ‘Why in God’s name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her…to get us to this point?’ was a challenge and a turning-point for all the politicians present.
They commended first minister Arlene Foster and deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill, along with the British and Irish governments for “seizing the moment” of Ms McKee’s funeral as a way of re-establishing the power sharing executive at Stormont.
“Their working together, along with the Executive minsters, health professionals and ordinary people from every background, has been essential to support this community through this unprecedented coronavirus crisis.
“Their working partnership is a fitting tribute to Lyra, whose passion was to bring together people who think they are divided,” the clergymen said.
Dean Forde and Fr Magill also recalled that Ms McKee’s mother, Joan died last month.
“In the face of today’s health challenges, we encourage our politicians, community groups and individuals with the vision and passion of Lyra to continue to work together, striving to see our community emerge as that better society which Lyra had hoped for and lived for to her last day,” they said.
